Happy ??? Cinco ...

22:15

With the heavy race schedule, you'd think I would be getting better at having a clue of what I'm doing in this game. Well, today I proved that I'm a slow learner!

Of course before the race I saw and talked to Joe and Stephanie and Shane. There was talk about pace and times. None of this was good for me .... Shane, Stephanie, and I went out together. Of course, I'm feeling good ... thinking I've got something to prove (who knows why???!>!?) ... I'm enjoying passing people ... and what do know ... there's the first mile in 6:33 ... STUPID !!!

At about 1.5 miles, Stephanie pulls up along side as my pace is slipping at what seems like an exponential rate. (Thank you for the lift, Steph!) I thought I was slowing her down and told her to go ahead but she said she was slowing and that I should go. Which I did ... for a little ways .... At about that point, there was a very large water hazard on the course. It was about 2-3 inches deep for about 15-20 yards with no way around it. Everyone's feet were (subject-verb agreement ???) soaked from that point. At least, it gave me something else to think about! A couple guys passed me in the last 2/3 mile. I had planned my kick but when the time came there was nothing there. This has never happened to me! I attribute it to the fast start and the hot, humid conditions (surely it couldn't be my lack of conditioning!). I've always been able to kick but just didn't have it today. As the guy I had "marked" to pass at the end stretched it for the finish, it was unbelievably frustrating to have to let him go and not do anything about it. But that was my reality on this day.

The post race food and festivities were very good. Joe did not PR. Stephanie took third in her age group behind two other PIM coaches. It was a good event.

The philosophical question of the day is - If I had gone out slower would I have been able to hold pace better and had a kick? I honestly don't know. It seems the answer is most likely "yes" but it's hard for me to imagine the race any differently than it happened. A slower early pace would have probably led to some panic on my part about "being just on or behind schedule".